Unesco Declares Cuban Country Music 'Intangible Heritage'

Unesco has declared Cuba's Punto Cubano country music, also known as "punto guajiro," an "intangible" cultural heritage.

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In doing so, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage – currently gathered on Jeju island in South Korea – is officially recognizing the genre as an important part of Cuba's cultural heritage.

Punto Cubano comprises the poetry and music of Cuban peasants, and consists of a melody featuring a voice singing ten verses with a rhyming scheme.

Eight other musical disciplines from around the world were also added to the list, including the ritual journeys that take place in La Paz during the festival of Alasita, in Bolivia; the Kochari, a traditional Armenian dance; and Konjic woodcarving, which takes place in both Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As a testament to the influence of Cuban art and culture around the world, the Kennedy Center in the United States is set to celebrate it in a two-week festival in May 2018.  

The "Artes de Cuba: From the Island to the World" event in Washington, D.C. will spotlight the music, theater, dance, visual arts and film of Cubans. The lineup is set to include singer Omara Portuondo, the popular band Los Van Van, the Malpaso Dance Company and the award-winning Argo Teatro.